Inside the Home
by oldmoviewatcher
Summary: One- shots involving the story, "Close to Home".  Will also involve the alternate ending.
1. Game Play

**I know I said there would be one- shots involving my **_**Close to Home **_**story and now there is. However, it takes place after the Alternate ending. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Castle**_**. It is owned by Andrew Marlowe and ABC. I do own Cassie, Lanie, and Corbin!**

"Ready?" Castle asked the two girls in front of him. They nodded knowing how to play the game.

"On the count of three. One, two," he paused before saying, "three!" Out of nowhere, the three people came from behind the couch and started shooting at their opponents. The opponents came from behind the piano and went after the other three. As the game went on, the room was illuminated with lights as body packs died, the sounds the vests made emphasizing who had won.

"Ha!" The brunette screamed, "We won!" High- fiving the red- head beside her, the woman was unaware of someone behind her. Suddenly, both their vests made the noises that they had been hit.

"Guess who won now?" A male voice said in their ears. The brunette and red- head turned to see Castle grinning at them.

"You cheated Dad." The red- head pointed out.

"No, Alexis, I merely used decoys. You hit Cassie and Lanie. You never hit me." He said grinning at his daughter before looking at the brunette saying, "And you call yourself a detective."

"Can we play again?" Lanie questioned happily as she and her sister came up to the trio. Kate looked at Castle who shook his head.

"That's enough for today. I need to start making dinner and you two have to finish your homework." Castle told the girls.

"Come on you two, lets get these vests off." Kate told the girls as she led them out of the room. Cassie and Lanie sighed as they followed the woman.

Thirty minutes later, Castle and Kate were putting the finishing touches on dinner when Cassie and Lanie went up to the writer and detective asking for them to check the children's work. After looking it over, the adults signed the papers and handed them back to the girls. The children scampered off to put their work up. Kate looked up to see Castle looking at her.

"What?" She questioned.

Over the past few months, the Detective and Writer had gotten into a routine. Kate would come by after work or on her days off and stay with her surrogate family. Now, Castle seemed to find Kate leaving to be pointless. She was at the loft all the time anyway.

"I never expected something like this to happen." He told her not wanting to ask her the question he had buried in his mind for a while now. She smiled at him before saying, "Corbin's been really quiet. I'm going to see what he's up to." Castle nodded watching as the detective walked away. A few minutes later, Kate came downstairs with a messy Corbin. Castle's eyebrow went up as he waited for the response.

"Someone got into the supplies you set up for the girls to use on their project." Kate told the man in front of her.

"I'll clean him up. I'll have Alexis help you with the rest of this in a minute." Castle said as he reached for the baby. Kate smirked as she handed the child off to her partner. A few minutes later, Alexis came in to help the woman finish dinner.

"You two work well together." Alexis told the detective. Kate looked at the teen not sure how to answer the observation.

"If someone didn't know better, they'd think you two were married." The teen said.

"What are you hinting at?" Kate questioned as she set the salad on the table.

"I just wish I'd had something like that growing up." Alexis responded. Kate nodded deciding the answer she had been given was good enough.

An hour later, everyone had been fed and now were lounging in the living room.

"Alexis said something interesting." Kate told Rick as the kids watched a movie. Alexis had decided to go upstairs to finish school work.

"What did she say?" He asked.

"That we looked like a married couple." Kate told him. Castle looked over at her and smirked.

"I guess we do." He said. He paused a moment before saying, "Kate, I've been thinking you may wanna move in." Kate stared at him for a moment.

"Castle, we—" She was stopped by Castle.

"I know we aren't in a relationship, but since we're both taking care of the kids, it only seemed reasonable." He told her. She nodded knowing he was right.

"Okay." She told him smiling.

**Review!**


	2. Happy Disarray

**I know it's been a while, but I couldn't figure out something to write about. Okay, I did, but haven't typed it up yet. What I want to write is in the vein of the kids going back to their grandparents. This chapter deals with the kids being adopted by Kate and Castle. **

**Enjoy!**

The room was a mess. Paper was strewn everywhere and toys were surrounding three children who laughed happily as they opened their presents. By now, the kids had about six presents surrounding them and two of them had just opened a seventh. Two adults and a teenager sat and watched the children waiting for the girls' responses on the present they just opened.

"Look what Alexis made me!" Lanie squealed showing her present to her guardians. The adults smiled as they looked at the blue sock monkey with the letter "L" on it that the child held in her hands.

"Look at mine!" Cassie told them showing them her green monkey with the letter "C" on it. Castle took a picture of the girls holding their monkeys as the brunette turned to Alexis.

"Where'd you find the idea for these?" Kate asked once the girls decided to name their stuffed animals and debate over whose name was better.

"Pinterest!" Alexis said happily, "There's one for Corbin under there too." At hearing his name, the little boy looked at the red head.

"You want your monkey?" Kate asked the child sitting by Castle.

"'Onkey!" The boy squealed. Alexis got the present and handed it to the child. Kate helped the boy open the gift and gave him the toy.

"'Onkey!" The boy repeated hugging the toy. The adults smiled at him before telling the girls they could grab a couple more presents. Happily the children opened their gifts before grabbing another and saying, "Here Alexis!" The Castle took the gift and opened it.

"Who is this from?" She asked as she took out the bracelet inside that had the word "sister" on it.

"Us!" Cassie and Lanie said. The red head looked up at her father who was smiling at her before her attention was turned back to the girls.

"We got one from our Mommy and Daddy when we were little and since you're our sister now, we wanted to give you one." Cassie explained softly. Alexis grinned as she hugged the two girls.

"I'll wear it forever." She told them. Ten minutes later, the family was done opening presents.

"Who wants Christmas pancakes?" Castle questioned as Kate went to grab a trash bag. Cassie, Lanie, and Alexis all happily consented.

As the pancakes cooked, Castle asked Alexis to watch the food. The man walked into the living room where Kate had put the last bag of trash.

"Hey." He said smiling. She smiled back with the same greeting.

"I got a present for you." He told her kissing her. The detective smirked as she stepped away and waited for him to give her the gift. The writer went toward the Christmas tree to get his present, but didn't see it.

"Rick?" Kate asked as she watched him frantically search for the gift. Knowing he would continue to search she decided to look over at the toddler who was playing on the floor with his toys. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught him trying to open a small box. Before he could put it in his mouth, Kate took it out of the child's hands. Realizing what it was she stood patiently, a smirk on her face, waiting for Castle to find his gift.

"Kate," He started, getting up from the ground, "I had this planned a lot better, but I guess I'll have to do this differently." Kate watched as the man stared at her, the same look he had on his face he had every time he had something important to say.

"Castle—" She started.

"No, Kate, let me finish. I love you. You and I both know that and—" He was stopped by Kate saying his name again.

"Will you marry me?" He asked just as Kate said, "I have the ring." There was a pause between the two.

"You have the ring?" Castle asked confused.

"Technically Corbin had it. I just took it away from him." The woman told him. She handed the box to him.

"Do you want it?" She asked when the man did not take the object.

"Yeah," He said flustered not sure if she were refusing or not. Smiling, Kate said, "You gonna put it on my finger writer boy?" Castle smiled as he placed the ring on her finger before kissing her.

"Thank- you for not doing anything extravagant." She said after they kissed.

"For you? Never." He told her.

**Review!**


	3. Pizza Night on an Anniversary

**I just want to say, I would love a review or two just so I know people are actually reading this. If I don't I'll probably stop. Anyway, here's the installment I wanted to post. Hope you like it. **

**Enjoy!**

Kate knocked on the door to Castle's loft. He had called her earlier and told her to come over and she had almost told him, "No." But, after hearing him complain and whine, she conceded.

"Beckett!" Castle exclaimed opening the door. She eyed him suspiciously before walking in the room and giving the writer her coat. She was about to ask why he had her come over, when she heard two girls screaming her name.

"Hi!" Kate said happily as she and the girls hugged. She looked up at Rick who smiled.

"Grandma and Grandpa went out for their anniversary!" Lanie said breaking the hug, "So Rick is babysitting us!" Kate smiled at the girl before looking at Cassie.

"Why are you covered in flour?" The detective asked.

"We're making pizza with Alexis!" Cassie told her as her sister took hold of Kate's hand and said, "Come see!" The girls led Kate to the kitchen to see Alexis covered in flour.

"Have a fight with the pizza?" Castle asked his daughter as he came in the kitchen behind the girls. She rolled her eyes at him as he went to help her.

"Make one with us!" Lanie and Cassie said as they went to finish their food. Kate smiled and helped the six year olds into their aprons before making a pizza of her own.

Fifteen minutes later, the pizzas were in the oven and the group was cleaning the kitchen.

"Where's your brother?" Kate asked the girls as they washed their hands in the sink.

"He's playing in his playpen." Lanie responded flicking water at her sister. Cassie glared at her before flicking water back.

"Hey, you two." Kate lightly scolded trying to gain control of the possible water war that could ensue.

A few minutes later, Kate and Alexis were entertaining the girls with television when Rick came out of the study with Corbin. Kate smiled when she saw them. The boy's eyes lit up at the sight of Kate as he reached out for her. The writer set the boy down so he could walk over to the detective. Happily, the woman picked the child up set him on her lap. Rick sat down with the group, but was surprised when Alexis got up. A minute later the teen came in with a camera and snapped a picture of the adults sitting with the kids on the couch. Kate looked over at the girl, fully aware a picture had just been taken of her.

"I want a copy." Kate told Alexis. The teen smiled and said, "Sure!"

The ding of the oven a few minutes later sent Rick to the kitchen to get the pizzas out.

"That's mine!" Lanie said pointing to her pizza.

"Your pizza little lady." Castle said putting Lanie's pizza on a plate to take to the table. The girl giggled before taking the plate from the writer. Once everyone had their respective pizza including Corbin, the group sat at the table.

"Wait!" Cassie said before everyone ate. Everyone looked at the girl before she said, "We need to take Corby's shirt off so he doesn't get it dirty." Nodding, Castle said, "You're right. I'll take it off him right now." The man took the toddler's shirt off him before setting it with his diaper bag. Once he came back to the table, everyone started eating.

"Guess who came to our school yesterday?" Lanie asked excitedly as they were half way through their meal.

"Who?" Castle questioned.

"Detectives!" Lanie replied. The adults and teen exchanged glances before Kate asked, "Why were they there?"

"They were teaching us to be safe from strangers." Cassie said wanting her turn to speak.

"What kinds of things did they teach you?" Castle questioned. The girls thought for a moment before launching into their explanation.

Once dinner was over, Castle took everyone's plates. He was about to walk into the kitchen when he saw Corbin covered in pizza sauce. Chuckling, the man said, "Did you make a mess buddy?" Corbin smiled and said, "No." The group laughed a little at the baby's antics before Kate said, "I'll clean him up. Do you want to help?" She directed to the girls. They nodded and went off to help bathe their brother. The child happily played in the water with a couple toys while Kate and the girls cleaned up his face and washed his hair. They had just taken him out of the water when they heard Castle open the door.

"Looks like your grandparents are back." Kate said. The girls sighed wishing they could stay longer. Smiling, Kate said, "Go grab your brother's clothes." Cassie and Lanie ran out of the room and came back a few minutes later with the clothing and a diaper.

A few minutes later, the quartet came out of Castle's room with an energetic toddler who was walking over to Castle. The grandparents smiled as they watched the man interact with their grandson.

"Were you good for Mr. Castle and Detective Beckett?" The girls' grandpa asked them taking the diaper bag from Beckett.

"They were great and very helpful." Kate answered. Smiling, the girls looked at their grandparents and asked, "Can we stay a little longer?"

"It's getting late and you have school in the morning." Their grandmother said to them. Sighing, the girls' nodded.

"Go get your stuff." The grandfather told his granddaughters. The girls went to get their things as Mrs. Sanchez took her grandson from Rick's arms and said, "Thank- you for watching them."

"No problem. They're good. Besides, Kate and Alexis kept them entertained more than I did." Castle responded before saying, "Did you two have a nice time?"

"It was wonderful. Estebàn took me to the place we met." The woman said smiling.

"Where is that?" Castle questioned. Kate glared at her partner silently telling him he should stop butting into people's personal lives. He was about to say something when the girls came back.

"You're not leaving anything?" Castle questioned. The girls shook their heads.

"What do you tell them?" Mrs. Sanchez asked.

"Thank- you!" The girls said simultaneously. Kate and Rick smiled as they gave the girls hugs. Shutting his door, Castle sighed.

"That was exhausting." He told her.

"Getting old Castle?" She teased.

"Not _that_ old." He teased back. Rolling her eyes, Kate said, "I should go." Castle nodded handing the detective her coat.

"Thanks." She said as he helped her into the garment.

"Night Kate." He told her. She smiled as she opened the door.

"Night Caslte." She said before closing the door behind her and walking down the hall.

**Review!**


	4. Apples and Money

**This goes with the alternate ending. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the idea of putting a brother in a shed. That scenario actually happened to someone in my family. Nor, do I own the thought of burying someone in the ground. That idea was taken from **_**Leverage, **_**which is owned by its creator. **

**Also, if you have any ideas for stories to go with the original ending, tell me and I will definitely mention you and that you had the idea. Thanks.**

**Enjoy!**

"We're not doing that." The woman told him, unsure of the man's logic sometimes.

"Why not?" The man questioned his eyes locked to the woman in front of him. She sighed wondering if he had done the same thing years earlier. When she did not answer he said, "Lanie would find it entertaining!"

"Castle, Lanie is six. Besides, who wouldn't love to see a sibling tortured? If I had siblings growing up, I would've loved to see them squirm!" The woman replied. Castle smirked saying, "Kate Beckett, I never pegged you as someone who would like to see their siblings tormented." Kate rolled her eyes at the man. He paused before defending himself.

"We wouldn't be torturing her." He replied, "Torturing is locking your brother in a shed or burying them in the ground." The writer explained, "I'm just talking about taking a tooth out of her mouth." The detective sighed.

"So we can do it?" Castle questioned, acting like his normal nine- year- old self.

"Yes, but not how you want. I have a different method." Kate smirked.

"Why can't we go with my idea?" He whined. She rolled her eyes at him.

"She'll be scarred for life." Kate told him.

"No she won't! We're just tying her tooth to a doorknob." Castle pouted. The woman glared at the man.

"Fine." He said, "We'll do it your way." The adults came out from the study to find Alexis with an apple in her hand.

"What's the apple for?" Kate asked.

"Oh, it's something my friend's parents did for her when she was a kid." She told the woman before explaining how biting into the apple would cause the tooth to come out.

"You ready?" Alexis asked Cassie. The girl sitting on the island shook her head. Castle and Kate, who were now standing beside the girls said, "We'll give you a dollar." Everyone else started at them.

"If you bite into the apple, we'll both give you a dollar." Castle explained. Cassie sat and thought over the proposition before saying, "Only if all of you pay me a dollar." The group agreed and watched as the girl bit into the apple.

"Did it come out?" Kate asked going up to take the apple from the girl. She nodded happily before saying, "I want my money please!" The group chuckled as they all went to collect their money.

The next day, Cassie saw Martha when she came in.

"Guess how much money I got yesterday?" She said excitedly. Martha looked at her and asked, "How much?"

"Five dollars!" She exclaimed. Martha looked up at her son who was making breakfast, "Did the price go up for the tooth fairy?" Castle grinned and said, "Let Cassie tell you." Grinning, the child launched into the tale of how she won money from losing her tooth.

**No joke, that is how we got my cousin's son's tooth to come out. Only, he got seven dollars.**

**Review!**


	5. Lunch with a Family

**This goes along with the original ending.**

**Enjoy!**

The man smiled at the woman he was sitting beside. She had been busy with paperwork for the last hour, and all the man had done was stare at her.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" She asked him.

"Nope!" He responded happily. Rolling her eyes, the woman went back to her task. Her work was interrupted by the man's cell phone ringing.

"Richard Castle!" The man happily responded. The woman now split her attention between her work and the man sitting by her.

"Who was that?" She asked once Castle finished her phone call.

"Estabàn Sanchez. The girls get out of school early and he and his wife are stuck at the bank working out the Brandon's financials."

"So you are picking them up?" The woman asked.

"Yep! You're always welcome to come with me Detective." Castle responded. Kate looked down at her work before saying, "I'll meet you in thirty minutes." The man nodded before going toward the elevator.

Thirty minutes later, Kate stood outside Castle's apartment. She smiled hearing the kids laughing. The smile was still on her face when Castle opened the door, Corbin being held in the man's arms.

"Detective Beckett!" Castle said happily.

"Hey Castle." She responded before looking at the baby, "Hi sweetie." She cooed. The child grinned happily before reaching out to Kate. The woman happily took the child before walking into the loft.

"Hi Kate!" Lanie and Cassie exclaimed as they played with Castle's Wii.

"What're you girls playing?" She questioned.

"Guitar Hero!" Lanie, who was playing guitar, replied.

"I was about to make lunch." Castle said coming into the room, "What do you girls want?" He questioned.

"We don't care!" The children simultaneously responded.

"Okay, onion and chopped liver it is!" Castle said going toward the kitchen. The girls looked at each other before running off to remedy their order. Kate smiled as she walked behind them.

"Help Kate, they've got me!" Castle said, both girls attacking one of his legs. Kate grinned before looking at Corbin.

"Should we help them?" She asked the toddler. The boy's eyes lit up, signaling he was enjoying the comic display. Watching the commotion a little longer, the entertained detective finally decided to intervene.

"Come on you two, let's let Castle finish making lunch." Kate said holding out her hand to one of the girls. Cassie, being closest, happily took the hand the detective offered. Castle watched as his muse left the room. He would never tell her, but she looked so natural walking away with the kids. He could not help wondering if that were something that could happen sometime in her future. Shaking his head, the man went to finish the meal.

"Your turn!" Lanie said handing the microphone she had been using over to Kate.

"Me?" Kate said feigning shock. Lanie nodded as she went to sit beside the woman. The woman grinned before saying, "Pick a song Cassie!" Happily, the girl complied picking out _Crocodile Rock_. Singing to the song, Kate was unaware of Castle coming in to tell them lunch was ready. Rick, not wanting to intrude, stood listening to Kate belting the song. Once the song was over, Rick called them into the kitchen. As the kids went ahead of them, Rick looked at Kate and said, "Elton John?"

The detective blushed a little before replying, "Says the man who started singing Billy Joel's _Piano Man_ in a precinct."

"You sang it too Detective." Rick said as he went to help Corbin into his highchair. Kate rolled her eyes before taking her seat next to the girls. The group happily ate lunch together and half an hour later, Castle was opening his loft door.

"Guys, your grandparents are here!" Castle said as he led the couple into the kitchen. The woman smiled as she watched Kate cleaning Corbin's hands from the mess he made.

"Hi!" Cassie and Lanie said as they went to hug the older couple.

"You get everything squared away?" Castle asked the grandparents.

"Yes, sorry it took longer than we thought." Mrs. Sanchez remarked.

"No problem, the girls are welcome here any time." Rick answered. Rick started talking to Mr. Sanchez while Kate came up to the group with Corbin.

"You seem to be over here a lot Detective." Mrs. Sanchez said. Kate smiled.

"Only when the kids are. Someone needs to keep them in line when Castle babysits." She joked. Mrs. Sanchez smiled.

"You're good with them. Do you have children of your own?" The woman asked.

"No." Kate responded glancing at Rick. "Actually, the only friends I have with any kids are Castle." She added.

"Maybe one day." Mrs. Sanchez remarked. Kate was about to say something when Mr. Sanchez made a comment about leaving.

"Bye!" Lanie and Cassie said as they went to give the adults a hug. Kate and Rick hugged them back before watching them leave.

"You're thinking Detective." Castle remarked looking at his partner.

"How would you know?" Kate teased.

"Oh, I know Detective. Trust me." He answered. Kate smirked before asking, "Do you ever think about getting married again? Kids?" Castle, a little shocked at the question said, "You offering?" Kate raised an eyebrow before going to clear the table. Castle watched her a second, wondering what she was hinting at. Shrugging, the man went to help.

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	6. Non Toxic Putty

**Yeah, two chapters in a day. This probably won't happen often, but Corbin is adorable! **

**Deals with the alternate ending and focuses around only two of the characters as opposed to all of them.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Play- Doh.**

**Enjoy!**

The boy looked up and smiled. He had been content for the past hour playing with his blocks, but now his vision had been set on a new object found in a cylindrical container. Once he had it, the boy took the lid off, looked inside, and touched the substance the container held. Frowning, the boy hoisted himself up and toddled over to the person sitting in the chair. Silently, he held out the container for the person to inspect. The man looked at the boy and said, "Whatcha got buddy?" The frown reappeared on the child's face. Taking the container, the man felt the substance. It was dry.

"Play." The boy stated pointing to the container.

"I see that." The adult said looking at the dry container of Play- Doh. Knowing the child was probably wishing it were easier to use, the man saved the work he had on his laptop and got up from his seat.

"Go?" The child questioned following the man.

"We're going to the kitchen." The man answered as he scooped up the toddler and walked over to the sink. Setting the boy on the counter, the man turned on the faucet and let a small amount of water on the clay. The boy clapped his hands when some water got on the man.

"You think that's funny?" The man asked tickling the child. The boy smiled as the man went back to his task. A few seconds later, the man took the dough out of its holder and let the boy poke it.

"Wet!" The boy said. The man smiled at the child.

"Yeah, but you can play with it. See?" He asked demonstrating the now pliable substance. Happily the boy took the Play- Doh and played with it. The adult took the child to the kid sized table so he would not make a mess on the floor. Making sure the boy was alright, the man went into his study to grab his laptop and brought it back to the kitchen. Half an hour passed before the man looked up from his work. His mouth dropped. Somehow the boy had gotten the child friendly dough in his mouth. Quickly, the man jumped up and put his hand at the boy's mouth.

"Spit it out." The man said. The child opened his mouth. There was no clay inside it.

"Corbin, did you just eat the Play- Doh?" The man asked. Corbin shook his head. Knowing the child had, the man quickly put the remaining putty back in the container and away from the child's grasp.

"Play!" Corbin cried reaching for the container.

"No. Play- Doh is not for little boys who eat it." The man stated. Taking Corbin away from the table, Castle went over to his laptop and searched to see if the clay were poisonous. The man let out a sigh.

"You're lucky this stuff isn't poisonous." The man said. Corbin smiled at the man before saying, "Play?" The man shook his head.

"Not anymore." He answered. Looking at the clock, the man decided it was a good idea to start making dinner. Placing the child with his blocks, the man went to the kitchen.

Once dinner was finished, the man turned the stove off and went to check on the child. Smiling, the man grabbed his phone and took a picture of Corbin who was asleep by his block structure. A few minutes later, the door was opened and two girls screaming his name ran up to hug him.

"Hi guys!" The man said giving them each a hug. "Go change and you can have dinner." The man told them. At the mention of food, the girls ran off. He smiled at the woman who had come in behind the girls when they first came in.

"Hi." The man smiled kissing the woman lightly on the lips.

"Hi back." She responded. Looking at the man in front of her she said, "He ware you out?" The man chuckled before saying, "You could say something like that Detective." The woman went over to the kitchen to see what was for dinner.

"Castle, why is there Play- Doh by the stove?" The Detective questioned as she looked up at the ceiling to make sure he had not done a crazy science experience while she was at work.

"Oh, Corbin was playing with it earlier." Castle responded. Kate raised an eyebrow.

"Do I want to know?" She asked. The writer shook his head.

"Let's just say, Play- Doh is non- toxic."

**Review!**


	7. In Case of Emergency

**This is going to be a lot longer and takes place inside the Sanchez home. Therefore, it takes place within the realm of the original ending. Enjoy!**

The woman stared at the thermometer in her hands. It read 103 degrees Fahrenheit . She sighed before placing it on the bed side table. The child's congested cough did nothing to ease her worry. Smoothing the hair out of the child's face, the woman said, "Go back to sleep okay sweetie? I'm done now."

"What's it say?" A man asked as he brought a second child into the room, the child's head lying on the man's shoulder.

"103. How's Lanie?" The woman questioned.

"I think she's fine now that she's emptied all the contents from her stomach." The man answered as he put the girl in the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently brushed Lanie's hair back from her face.

"I'm going to get them some water." The woman told the man, "If anything happens, tell me." She added. The man nodded before saying, "Kate." The woman turned.

"Grab some crackers from the top cabinet." The man said. Kate nodded before leaving the room. The man watched the children sleeping, reminders of when his daughter was sick running through his mind. He watched as one of the children woke up. Searching, the child's eyes fell on the man.

"Where's Grandma?" The child whined. The man went over the other bed and sat down.

"Shh Cassie," he soothed, "Grandma and Grandpa are at the emergency room with your brother remember?" Cassie nodded as she cuddled next to the man.

"Rick?" The girl said softly.

"Yeah?" Rick asked smoothing the child's hair.

"I don't feel good." She stated.

"I know." He said keeping Cassie under the blanket. Kate came in the room to see Rick soothing the girl. She handed him a glass of water before taking the other glass to Lanie's bed. Putting the crackers on the bedside table, Kate sat next to the sleeping child.

"Lanie." Kate gently called. "I need you to wake up okay?" She asked. Lanie slowly opened her eyes so Kate could sit her up and give her the fluid.

"Drink this for me okay?" Kate asked. Lanie nodded and took a small sip of the liquid. The child lied back on the bed ready to fall back asleep.

Once the girl was asleep, Kate looked over at Castle who was putting the glass of water back on the nightstand.

"Let's go." Kate whispered deciding to leave the girls asleep. Rick nodded and headed out of the room with his partner.

"Have you heard anything on Corbin?" Rick asked as he shut the door. Kate shook her head.

"I checked my phone before I came back but didn't see any message." She replied. Castle nodded and headed for the Sanchez's kitchen.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm making soup for when they feel a little better. They'll probably want to get out of bed, so we can move them to the couch and let them watch TV if they want." Castle responded. Kate nodded following the man.

"How do you do it?" Kate asked watching Castle rummage around in the cupboards for cans of soup.

"Do what?" He asked closing the cabinet door when he was unable to locate soup.

"Help people like you do." Kate clarified wondering if she had overstepped a boundary.

"You'd do the same thing." The man answered pausing to look at her as he raided the fridge for something to make soup with.

"Yeah, but you do it all the time. How can you be so giving?" She asked. He smiled as he shut the fridge door and placed a stick of butter on the counter after losing his battle of whether to make soup or not. Not won. He looked at the woman in front of him before going back to his task.

"You do it every day Kate. You just don't know it." He told his partner as he grabbed the bread from behind her. As he untied the package and put two pieces of bread in the toaster, Castle went on "Besides, these kids are like family. Estèban and Gloria called me and I came over. As for you, I called you because I needed to talk to someone who could calm me down. I was a wreck with taking care of these two." He said as Kate smiled remembering the call he had made earlier today.

"But you," he went on, "came over here to help when all I needed was reassurance." He chuckled lightly before saying, "I thought dealing with one kid was hard, but two? I don't know how the Sanchez's are doing this." Kate shook her head.

"I don't know either." She stated.

"It helps having someone else around." Castle told her. Their eyes locked for a moment, each at a loss for words. Kate was about to say something when the toast popped up.

"I'm going to check on the girls." Kate said before leaving the room. Castle nodded as he buttered the toast.

The detective walked in the room to see Lanie and Cassie both awake.

"Can we play?" Lanie asked. Kate smiled at the girl.

"Yes." She said as she watched the two girls happily, albeit groggily, get out of bed and head toward their doll house. The detective was about to leave the room when Cassie said, "Kate. Play with us!" The woman turned and happily sat on the floor next to the doll house. Rick came in the room with the toast to find Kate playing with the girls. Smiling, the man cleared his throat. The trio looked up to see the man standing in the doorway.

"I've got toast if you girls want it." He told them. Cassie and Lanie nodded before resuming their game. Kate stood up and went over to the man.

"I think they'll eat it when they're ready." She told him as she took the plate and set it next to the glasses of water, removing the crackers in the process.

"I'm going to take these to the kitchen." Kate told him. Castle nodded and continued to watch the girls play. A couple minutes later, Cassie and Lanie looked at Castle and said, "Will you read us a story?" Happy to oblige, the man said, "Sure. Pick out a story and we'll read it on the sofa." The girls nodded quickly picking out a story.

Kate watched as Castle led the girls to the couch and opened a book.

"You can join us Kate." Lanie told the woman. Smiling, the detective sat next to the girl as Castle read the story. Ten minutes later, the adults looked down to see the girls had fallen asleep.

"Should we put them back in their bed?" Kate asked.

"Just grab a blanket and put it over them. They'll be fine right here for a while." Castle responded as he slid from between the girls and placed the book on the edge of the couch. Kate came out a couple minutes later with a blanket and the girls' toast. Castle took the plate from her and put it on the counter. He came back in the room to see Kate stroke each child's head before returning back to Castle.

"Think we should call Estèban and see how Corbin is?" Kate asked. Castle nodded and took out his phone. After receiving the update, the man said, "Corbin's fine. They're going to be home in about ten minutes." Kate nodded deciding to gather her things so she would know where they were.

Not long after the adults tidied the house, Estèban and his wife came in with Corbin.

"How is he?" Kate asked as she took the boy so the grandparents could take off their coats.

"The doctor gave us some medicine for him, but he should be fine. When did you get here?" Gloria questioned.

"About an hour ago. Castle called." She explained. The other woman nodded a small smile on her lips as she turned to Castle and asked, "How are the girls?"

"They're better now. We haven't checked their temperatures again yet, but—"

He was stopped by Gloria who said, "It's okay dear, we'll take care of it. Thank- you." She told the man, "Both of you." She added looking at Kate who was still holding Corbin.

"It was nothing Mrs. Sanchez." Rick told her, "We were happy to help."

"You are probably both tired though. It's getting late, go home and get some rest." Mr. Sanchez told the duo. The writer and detective smiled at them. Castle grabbed his coat and phone while Kate, who had handed Corbin back to his grandparents, went to get her things.

"If you need anything else, call us?" Castle asked before he and his partner walked out the door. The older couple smiled at them.

"Oh, and tell the girls, 'Good- bye' for us." Kate added.

"We will. Good night." The Sanchez's responded before letting the door close on the two younger adults.

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	8. Words and Anxiety

**This chapter deals with the alternate ending. I know it's been a while, school has been consuming my life!**

**But, before you read this, I would love **_**at least **_**one review. I have fun writing these stories, but feel no one is reading because I've had no reviews in the last couple chapters. If no one is reading, then that's fine, I'll stop writing this. But if so, I'd really like to know. Also, if someone has an idea or situation they want to see tell me (just don't make it some sort of M scene, though I don't know how you'd do that fully with kids involved in each chapter) and I'll put it in. Anyway, I know this may put a damper on the reading. I just needed to say that.**

**Enjoy! **

The woman stared at the test in her hands. Nothing like the present situation had happened to her before, so she had no idea how to react. Deciding to go with anger she said, "You got a D in Spelling!" The child in front of her nodded slowly. The woman ran her hand through her hair.

"How? It's your best subject!" The woman said.

"I didn't mean to." The child answered, afraid to find out the punishment that would be given.

"I'll talk to Castle about this later. For now you can re- write the words three times each." The woman said nodding toward the table. The child sighed before walking to the table to do the assignment. The woman shook her head before going back to the food she was making. She had just put the dish in the oven when a man walked in the apartment. Grinning, the man walked into the kitchen.

"Looks like the roles are reversed today huh?" The man said smiling at the woman. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Shut up Castle." The woman said smirking. The writer feigned hurt saying, "You wound me Kate."

"You'll be fine." The detective replied.

"Where're the kids?" Castle asked noticing the lack of noise.

"Lanie is with Alexis and your Mother at rehearsal. Corbin is in his room playing. Cassie, however, is sitting at the table re- writing the words she got wrong on her spelling test." Kate responded nodding over to the child.

"How many did she get wrong?" Castle questioned.

"Half." Kate mouthed, "I told her I'd talk to you about a punishment." She answered audibly. Castle nodded.

"Ah the ever important punishment dilemma." Castle joked.

"Seriously Castle. I've never punished someone over homework before. What did you do when Alexis made bad grades?" The detective asked.

"Nothing, she usually punished herself." Castle responded. Kate sighed.

"It's not the end of the world." The writer reassured her.

"I know, but still." Kate said. The adults looked over at the girl who pushed the paper away and sat back in the seat with her arms crossed.

"Looks like the bad side of her has finally surfaced." Castle quipped. Kate tried to suppress a smirk as she looked at the writer, but failed.

"How 'bout we do nothing. Re-writing the words seems punishment enough." Kate supplied as a solution. Castle stared at the woman.

"Going soft Detective?" He asked.

"No, I just think since it was this one time, we should give her a small scolding. Grounding her seems a little harsh right now. She's only six." Kate answered as she went back to the oven to check on the food. Castle smiled at the woman. In all the years of knowing her, he never would have suspected she would be this lenient, especially with grades.

"Kate, we gotta do something else besides scold her." Castle said. Kate knew he was right. Checking on dinner one last time, she went over to the table with Castle not far behind her.

"I know I yelled at you Cassie. I'm sorry. But, I need you to tell me why you made a bad grade." Kate said using a tiny bit of her interrogation techniques on the girl. Cassie nodded looking over at Castle who nodded. The child looked down at the paper before saying, "I looked at the test and forgot them all." Kate and Rick shared a glance before looking back at the girl.

"You forgot them all?" The writer and detective replied simultaneously. Cassie nodded.

"I didn't mean to!" Cassie weakly defended, "We went over them before the test, but when she handed it to me I couldn't remember anymore!" The detective looked at the girl and could tell she was telling the truth.

"Okay." Kate said, "Go put the paper in your backpack and get ready for dinner." The girl happily left the table and went to put her work up.

"Nice interrogation." Castle said, "They should pick you the next time they need kids interrogated." Kate rolled her eyes at him.

"Rick, do you think she really was telling the truth? I know she was, but—" The detective trailed off unsure how to phrase her statement.

"Happened to me when I was a kid. Drove Mother crazy. That's one of the reasons I went to boarding school." Castle replied. Kate raised her eyebrow.

"It's real!" Castle defended. "Called Test Anxiety! I used to have it _really_ bad as a kid. I finally outgrew it though. We just need to work more at home with her, call out the words as we take her to school, stuff like that." The man explained. Kate nodded.

"Okay." She said, "I'm going to get dinner out, you can get Corbin."

"Sounds like a plan!" Castle said. Looking at his partner's face before leaving, Rick said, "She'll be fine Kate. I promise." Kate nodded before saying, "I just worry."

"That's a parent's job." He told her before leaving the room to get the toddler from upstairs.

**Review!**


	9. Sorry Filled Day

**This still deals with the alternate ending. Also, I took the anonymous reviews off. Don't get mad! I just got a troll review from, well, a troll (who should be asked the velocity of sparrow flying north with a coconut) and decided to disable them for a while. **

**Anyway, Enjoy!**

The six year old sat at the island eating her cereal. After taking a few more bites, the girl put her spoon down.

"Rick, do you love Kate?" She asked. Rick put the dish rag in the sink before he turned and said, "Why do you ask that?" The girl was quiet a moment before saying, "You don't talk to each other anymore. Are you mad?" Rick stared at the girl.

"What makes you think we don't talk anymore?" He asked confused. The child thought a moment before giving a response.

"You haven't gone to work with her this week." The child answered. Rick hid a smile at how the six year old thought they only talked about work. Then, he thought about Kate. This week had been particularly hard on her. It was the anniversary of her mother's death. Looking at the girl a minute, the man finally said, "You know how you lost your mom?" The girl nodded.

"Kate lost her mom too." She stated sadly. Rick nodded wondering when Kate told the girl about the death.

"Yes, she did and this is the week she lost her." Rick continued carefully.

"So she's not mad?" The girl asked. Rick smiled.

"No, Lanie. She's not mad. Just sad." He answered. Lanie sat quietly for a few moments.

"She'll be happy tomorrow right?" She queried.

"We'll see." Castle stated as he took the girl's bowl and put it in the sink. After rinsing it, he turned to see Lanie ascending the staircase.

"Where 're ya going?" Rick asked.

"To make Kate a card!" The girl responded as if it were the simplest idea in the world. Shaking his head, Castle went back to doing the dishes. Hours later, a woman walked in the door, closing the door behind her.

"Hey." Rick said when Kate walked in the room. She smiled at him before giving him a kiss.

"Hey." She responded looking at what her husband of six months was cooking. She smiled when she saw it was her favorite comfort food.

"What's this for?" She questioned.

"You seemed to be having a bad week. I thought this would cheer you up." He smiled. She smiled back at him. Going toward her room to change, the woman heard her name being called.

"Kate!" The voices screamed. Smiling, Kate turned and hugged the girls.

"We made you cards!" Lanie stated handing the detective her gift. Kate smiled as she looked at the homemade gift and read it. Cassie gave Kate her card not wanting to be out done by her sister.

"What are they for?" Kate questioned once she read both cards wondering how the girls had known she was upset.

"Rick said you were sad about your mom, so we made cards for you." Lanie stated. Kate glanced up at the author sending him a quick, appreciative glance. Smiling brightly, the detective hugged the girls and said, "Thank- you!"

"You're welcome!" They chorused.

A few hours later, Kate and Rick had put the kids to bed and were finally climbing into their own.

"I want one Castle." She said glancing at the man beside her.

"A card?" Rick questioned. "I already made you food." He teased. She hit him lightly on his chest.

"No, a baby." She responded as she put her head on his chest. Trying not to show his shock at the statement, the man decided to make a small joke instead.

"We have three. Four if you count Alexis." He stated.

"But, Corbin's growing up." She told him snuggling closer to the man's chest.

"He's barely two Kate." Castle told her wondering what was going on in his wife's mind. She sighed.

"I know, but he's growing up. He doesn't cuddle with me as much." Kate replied.

"Is that really what brought this on?" Rick asked.

"Partly. The girls' cards may have contributed." She stated biting her lip. He hugged her closer not wanting to deny her what she wanted. He took a breath before saying, "This isn't because of your mom's death?" Kate stared at him, her eyes hard.

"No." She said a little harshly. Rick swallowed not sure if he completely ruined the conversation. He stroked Kate's arm with his thumb.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled into her hair. She shook her head and said, "It's okay." Rick smiled at her as she kissed him softly. The couple was interrupted by a door being opened timidly. The couple looked over to see Lanie peeking her head in.

"What is it?" Kate asked concern in her voice.

"I had a bad dream." The child replied walking toward the bed. Kate nodded, lifting the blanket up for the girl to climb under.

"What about?" The detective asked. The child recanted the tale to the adults until she fell asleep. Stroking the girl's hair, sleep began to claim the detective. Before she fell asleep she heard Castle whisper, "I want one too."

**Review!**


	10. Partners, Princesses, and a Party

**This is insanely long , about 2,000 words. But, before you read, I was wondering if you guys would be okay with the kids getting older? Just food for thought.**

**Enjoy!**

Kate Beckett sat at her desk as she tried to make her way through her paperwork. She sighed when she looked at the time. It was only five o'clock and her brain was already starting to melt. The detective rubbed her eyes trying to keep herself from falling asleep knowing she still had another hour 'til her shift ended. The woman heard footsteps by her desk and looked up to see her partner with a huge grin on his face.

"Guess what?" He asked excitedly. She gave him a look telling him she was not in the mood to play guessing games. The man's grin grew wider.

"What?" She sighed secretly happy for the distraction.

"I just got invited to a party!" He said. Kate rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going as your date Castle." She told him not taking her eyes away from her work. The man pouted.

"Not even if you had to go as a princess?" The writer asked.

"Why would I go to a party dressed as a princess?" Kate questioned looking up at him.

"Because I," he paused waiving an envelope in front of her face before saying, "am going as a prince."

"Did you get invited to a masquerade ball?" She sarcastically answered as she tried to grab for the envelope.

"Nope! A birthday party!" Castle responded. Knowing it was not Alexis' birthday, the detective raised an eyebrow.

"A birthday party?" She parroted.

"Yep! See?" He said giving her the invitation. Kate opened the envelope and read what the paper said.

"Cassie and Lanie are inviting us to their birthday party?" She asked shocked.

"Yep!" Castle excitedly stated. She smiled.

"Why didn't I get one of these?" Kate questioned nodding to the paper.

"They didn't have your address." Castle told her before asking if she were going to the party. Kate's face lit into a bright smile.

"Of course!" She said answering the writer's question.

"Good, because I already RSVP- ed for us." He told her. Kate smirked knowing he would do something like that.

"I'll pick you up at eleven on Saturday?" He asked her. The detective nodded before going back to her paperwork. Castle looked at her for a second before sitting in his chair.

"What are you going to dress up as?" He asked.

"We need to dress up?" Kate questioned.

"Yeah, the invitation said to come dressed as your favorite Disney character or something like that." He told her. Kate raised her eyebrow before looking at the card. Sure enough, it said it was a costume party. She looked up to see Castle's eyes light up.

"What?" She asked.

"You should dress up as a princess." The writer enthusiastically told her.

"Where am I going to get a princess costume? The party's tomorrow." She stated. Castle smiled.

"We'll go shopping for it!" He told her. She shot him a look before he said, "Either that or you can wear that dress you wore a few years ago to that benefit we went to." Kate smiled at the memory of that night.

"Okay. But not _that_ dress." She said smiling. "I think I have a dress that will work though." She said.

As stated, Castle picked Kate up from her apartment at eleven on Saturday.

"You ready?" He asked once she opened the door. She had her hair in a low pony tail, had on a blue dress with an apron over it, and black flats.

"Almost." She replied. The detective grabbed a book and the presents before stating they could leave.

"Interesting outfit Castle." Kate told him in the car as she looked at his Prince Charming costume. She had to admit, he looked dashing as a prince.

"Thanks." He told her.

Twenty minutes later, the writer and detective walked up to the porch of an older two story house. Kate knocked and the door opened to show Mrs. Sanchez dressed as Granny from _Red Riding Hood_.

"Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle come in!" She said cheerfully. The detective and writer smiled before asking she call them by their given names.

"Where is everyone else?" Kate asked as they walked into the living room.

"They should be here soon. You two are the first to get here." Mrs. Sanchez stated as she took their coats and put them in the other room. Castle and Beckett looked around the room noticing the toys in a basket off to the side and streamers around the room.

"Kate, Rick!" The girls said happily as they ran to given them hugs.

"Hey guys!" The adults said hugging them back. When the girls let go, Kate noticed Cassie was dressed as Cinderella and Lanie as Belle. Lanie giggled as she looked at Kate and said, "You're dressed like me!"

"Yep! But, you get to live in the castle with the prince!" Kate said smiling. Castle turned when he heard his name. Beckett looked up at him.

"Not you Castle." The woman said causing the girls to laugh. Kate quickly turned back to Lanie as Rick went back to talking to Cassie. Mrs. Sanchez came in the room to see the exchange between the adults and children and smiled before walking in the room. From the other room, a timer went off.

"Is that the cake Abuela?" Lanie asked excitedly as she followed the older woman.

"Yes mija, but you can't eat any 'til after we eat." She told her. Lanie nodded before going to watch her Grandma frost the dessert.

"We get two cakes!" Cassie told the adults, "One for me and one for Lanie!"

"Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle, I thought I heard you guys out here!" Mr. Sanchez told them as he came into the room with Corbin.

"You did dress him up!" Cassie said happily noticing her brother's frog costume. Any response was cut off by the doorbell.

"I'll go answer that." Mr. Sanchez said.

"Do you want me to take him?" Kate asked nodding to Corbin. Mr. Sanchez nodded handing the baby to the detective.

"Hi sweetie, do you remember me? You've gotten so big!" Kate told the child. Corbin cocked his head as if trying to remember.

"Lanie, Cassie!" A girl about the same age as the girls screamed hugging each other as Lanie ran out of the kitchen. Castle and Kate winced at the high pitched squeals of the girls.

"Shouldn't you be used to this?" Kate ribbed.

"Not if you haven't heard six year- olds scream in a few months." Castle told her as the adults watched the girls run off to play as they waited for other children to arrive. Kate decided to set Corbin on the floor and let him walk around.

"That's their best friend Laura." Mr. Sanchez said. Castle nodded.

"I remember when Alexis was that age. She and Buttons would do that." He said.

"Buttons?" Kate asked.

"A girl in her class. I don't know her real name. That was just her nickname. I don't think anyone's parents would be _that _cruel." He replied.

"Says the man who named his character Nikki Heat." Kate mumbled.

"Hey, that was creative license!" Castle protested. Mr. Sanchez smiled at the pair. Kate, feeling slightly uncomfortable, left the room to help the kids' grandma.

An hour later, Kate and Castle were standing at the side of the room watching the party. The cake had been served and now the kids were playing a game before Cassie and Lanie opened their presents.

"What did you get them?" Castle asked as he bumped his partner's arm. She smirked before replying, "Not telling. You'll have to guess. What did you get them?" Castle smiled.

"Did you get them Laser Tag?" She asked.

"No." Castle decided to answer.

"You did didn't you?" She questioned. Castle's grin grew wider. Before she could say anything, Kate noticed Corbin walking toward the cake. She quickly picked the child up and said, "Do you want a little?" Corbin nodded and said, "Cake!" Kate laughed as she gave a small piece of cake to the baby.

"You're as bad as my mother." Castle said coming up to her. Kate rolled her eyes.

"I haven't seen the little guy in months, cut me some slack." She told him before adding, "Besides, it's not like I'm his mother. I can spoil him a little. Can't I?"

"Yeah, but you were his mom for about a week." Castle told her referring to her earlier comment as he sat on a chair beside her.

"We took care of them for a week. I wasn't his mother." Kate told her partner. The writer and detective sat in companionable silence for a moment watching the party. A few moments later, Mrs. Sanchez found the pair and said, "Kate, could you help me with the piñata?" Kate smiled.

"Sure." She said handing the baby over to Castle. Kate came back ten minutes later to find Castle bouncing the baby on his knee. She smiled as she sat down. The duo looked over at the children who were now hitting the piñata. The adults were caught up in the excitement, they did not see a woman come take a chair beside them.

"Your son is adorable." The woman said to Castle who was still holding the boy. The writer and detective turned to the woman.

"Which child is yours?" The woman went on. Castle cleared his throat while Beckett said, "None. We're friends of the family."

"I'm sorry, I just thought—" The woman started before Castle said, "It was an honest mistake."

"He just looked like he could be yours." The woman stated. Beckett smiled as Castle set the child down.

"No," Kate said ruffling the boy's hair. "He's not." The detective answered softly.

"Kate, Rick!" Lanie screamed coming up to the adults, "Look how much candy I have!" The adults looked at the candy.

"That's a lot!" Castle commented enthusiastically, "Did you leave anymore for the other kids?" He joked. Lanie rolled her eyes, "Yes." Was the girls reply. The adults smiled as the girl ran off. The duo turned to see the woman talking to her own child before looking at her watch. Kate looked over at the girls who were sitting among other kids. Kate and Rick walked over to the group to watch the girls opening their presents. After a few were opened, the detective turned to see the writer's face light up. She smirked as she turned back to the girls.

"Laser Tag!" The girls screamed excitedly. Jumping up, Cassie and Lanie ran to hug Castle. He hugged them back.

Half an hour later, the guests began to leave. Kate noticed this, and went to help Gloria clean up.

"You don't have to help." Gloria told her. Kate smiled at the woman saying, "It's fine. I think Castle has the kids entertained for a bit anyway." The women looked out of the room to see the writer getting laser tag set up for the kids. Laughing, the women went back to throwing away paper and cups.

"How old is his daughter?" Gloria asked. Kate looked up.

"Alexis?" She questioned. "She's eighteen." Kate responded. Gloria nodded.

"It's always hard when they leave." The woman stated. Kate, not knowing how that felt, nodded.

"You'll understand one day." Gloria stated. Kate smiled.

"Thank- you." She responded wondering if the woman were right. The women finished and went toward the girls.

"They having fun?" Kate questioned Rick causing the man to turn.

"Yeah, tons." He responded smiling.

"It's getting late. We should probably go." Kate told him.

"So soon? But, the girls are having so much fun!" Castle responded. Kate rolled her eyes knowing her partner was having fun too. Kate gave the man her signature look causing the man to frown.

"Fine." He said sadly. A few minutes later the duo was at the door.

"Wait!" Lanie said running toward them, "You forgot a gift bag!" The adults smiled as they took one before hugging the girls again.

"Ready Detective?" Castle asked once they were outside. She smiled before replying, "Lead the way Writerboy."

**Review!**


	11. Interrogation Savvy

**I know I haven't updated, but I really couldn't think of anything. Then, I thought of this. It's not in the same vein as any of the others, but it's cute! If I get enough responses I may keep going. Especially if people give me prompts. **

**Enjoy!**

"Espo!" Kate yelled walking into the precinct her daughter in toe. The cop put his hands up in surrender.

"What did I do?" He asked.

"You've corrupted my child!" The detective stated. Thoroughly confused, the cop stared at his co- worker.

"How?" He questioned.

"She called her teacher 'chica'." Kate responded. Javier had no idea how to respond to the situation. His mind was wavering between laughing and chastising. Seeing the look on Kate's face, he decided to chastise.

"Lanie, why did you call your teacher chica?" The cop asked. The seven- year- old looked at the ground. Knowing all eyes were on her, the child finally spoke.

"She wasn't supposed to hear me." The girl responded. "Just my friends." Both cop and detective raised their eyebrows.

"I told her it meant girl!" The child defended. Kate looked at Esposito. The look on her face told the cop that he was on his own in handling the situation. Sitting on the edge of his desk, the man thought a moment before saying, "You can't go around calling every girl 'chica'. Some people don't think it's nice." Lanie nodded her head still looking away.

"So, does that mean I can't call Cassie, Alexis, or Martha, chica?" The girl asked. Javi smiled.

"Not unless they ask." He answered, "But let's keep that term for home okay?" Lanie looked up at the older man and said, "Okay." Kate gave Espo an appreciative nod before looking down at her child.

"Let's get home. Castle's making dinner and you still have homework to do." Kate said ruffling the girl's hair.

"Okay Kate. Do you think we can have macaroni and cheese tonight?" Lanie asked as they walked out of the precinct.

"Maybe." Kate answered as they got into the elevator. Javier Esposito shook his head. As much as he tried, he probably would never get used to "motherly" Beckett.

**Review!**


	12. Sleeping So Softly

**I know it's been a decent while since I've written for this, but thanks to astig01, I got some great ideas! Thanks again! So, in no particular order, here are the newer chapters.**

**Takes place in the vein of the original ending. Enjoy!**

Kate knocked hesitantly on Castle's door. She had been told Gloria and Estaban had let Castle babysit the girls and Corbin for the night. Then the two girls had hijacked Alexis' phone telling her to come to the loft for a sleepover. Taking a rare chance to see the girls, Kate agreed to come. Now, at the door, the detective was clad in a long sleeved shirt and yoga pants and armed with _Mean Girls _to watch with Alexis once the girls were asleep. Finally, the door was opened.

"Hey." Castle said to his friend as he took in her overly casual appearance. A little embarrassed at her attire, Beckett answered, "Hi. I was told there was a sleepover here?"

The smile she mustered due to her sudden wittiness dropped when Castle met her remark with a confused expression.

"Who told you that?" He questioned. Thinking the man was kidding, Kate replied, "Lanie and Cassie. Alexis backed it up. You are babysitting them tonight right?"

Comprehension dawned the man's face as he said, "Yeah! Sorry, Alexis took charge of the girls while I was writing earlier and took them to Laser Tag." Beckett nodded in understanding feeling as if she were twelve and not invited to a good friend's birthday party.

"They must have forgotten to tell you where they were going. Six year olds are notorious for that you know." Castle stated hoping to make his friend feel better. He continued.

"Do you want to come in? Corbin's asleep in the other room and Mother's gone."

"No." Kate replied, "I think I'll just head back to—"

"You sure?" The man asked. The woman bit her lip indecisively. After a brief moment Beckett smiled.

"Sure." She decided as Castle held the door open wider for the woman to walk in.

Half an hour later, Alexis came in the loft with Lanie and Cassie. To their surprise, they found the writer and detective asleep on the couch. Stifling victorious giggles, the matchmaking trio headed upstairs.

**Review!**


	13. Smiles in Dismay

**This one takes place in the original ending as well! **

**Enjoy!**

Castle sat on the floor with Corbin. The boy was watching the writer build a block tower and was mesmerized by the structure that went past his head. When the tower accidentally fell, shock covered the baby's face. The writer braced himself for a possible onslaught of tears when the child erupted into a fit of laughter. Shaking his head at the boy's antics, Castle scanned the room for the boy's sisters. Finding the two girls playing a game on his laptop, the man went back to his tower. Once he had finished putting the last block on the newest model of his block structure, Castle's phone rang. Finally getting up from his sitting position, the writer found Cassie holding his cell phone out to him. Taking the device, the man watched as the girl scampered away as he answered.

"Hey, Beckett." He stated cheerfully. His expression changed quickly when the other person answered. Reigning his emotions for the children in the other room, Castle gently questioned the voice on the other line. After ending the call, the writer called to the girls, picked up Corbin, and stated they were meeting Kate. As the girls cheered, Castle's stomach dropped. If only they were meeting her for a happier occasion.

"Where are we going?" Cassie asked as they left the loft. Castle shut his front door avoiding the question. The man had no idea how to explain the situation the girls would soon find themselves in let alone what Kate had told him over the phone. Sighing, Castle repositioned Corbin in his arms before seriously looking at the girls.

"Girls, I have something to tell you." The writer stated.

"Are you and Kate getting married?" Lanie piped out. Baffled by the statement, the man simply shook his head.

"No. It's about where we're meeting Kate." Castle choked out. The girls nodded as Castle continued.

"We're meeting Beckett at the hospital. Your grandparents were in a wreck." The writer watched as the girls' faces became solemn. He hated to tell the girls on the side of the street, but felt they needed to know.

The taxi ride to the hospital was a silent one and ended way too soon. Holding Corbin in one arm, Cassie's hand with his free one, and Lanie trailing behind him, the quartet finally walked up to the nurse's station. Taking in the writer's frazzled appearance, a nurse walked toward the group. Castle tried to regain composure before speaking with the woman, but could only think about how the girls were going to deal with the problems that would face them. The children had only been with their grandparents for a few months and the writer feared what would happen to them. Before either nurse or writer could exchange a word, Castle heard his name being called. He let out a sigh when he saw his friend and partner come down the hallway. Immediately, Lanie ran toward the woman and gave the woman a hug, the child's grip tightening once Kate hugged back. Lanie let out a small sniffle prompting the woman to stroke the child's hair. Spying chairs along the wall, the detective sat down to soothe Lanie better. Rubbing small circles on the girl's back, Kate noticed Rick sit down a seat away from her and Cassie sit in the middle. Noticing Cassie start to cry, Rick hugged her to him and started to mimic Kate's motions. A few moments later, Cassie sat up and looked over at Kate.

"Are Grandma and Grandpa alright?" The girl questioned breaking the silence. The woman swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked at Castle in reassurance. Smoothing the child's hair, the writer took the lead.

"No, sweetie." He gently responded.

"Are they with Mommy and Daddy?" Lanie asked once she lifted her head from Kate's shoulder. Rubbing Lanie's arm, Kate looked at each child as she softly said, "Yeah, yeah they are." The girls glanced at each other before snuggling into their respective adult. Ten minutes later, the adults found all three of the children asleep. Looking up at his friend, Castle resolutely says, "I'm taking them in."

"Castle," the detective starts, "you can't legally do that again. Besides, they could have other family."

"We've been through their files Kate! You know all they had were their grandparents." The man adamantly stated. Beckett sighed wishing she could do more for the children. She put her head against the wall in mock defeat only to have her head snap in Castle's direction at his proposition to gain custody of the children.

"You're serious." The woman stated noticing the look of determination on his rugged face.

"As a heart attack." He replied earning a glare from his friend. Her face softening, Kate looked down at Lanie asleep in her lap sleeping as peacefully as she could in a hospital chair. Then, as Lanie repositioned her head on the woman's shoulder, the detective looked at the writer.

"Alright." She said softly yet firmly. She earned a grin from the imaginative nine year old on a sugar rush. She grinned back as the man gently repositioned Cassie at Kate's side. As Castle walked away to change a fussy Corbin's diaper, the man is effectively stopped when Beckett called out, "Hey, Castle."

Once he turned around, the woman took in her friend's features. The worn look in his eyes was clearly visible to her, but somehow he is still able to have at least a ghost of a smile on his face. Sadly, the smile was unheard of now and the absence scared the woman a little bit.

Knowing he stopped for her response, the detective says, "If you need help with them—"

The woman trails off knowing Castle knows what she wants to say. To her relief, the writer's smile reappears as a silent form of understand as he audibly says, "Always."

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	14. Sadly Giving Away

**Here's another chapter. They will be slightly sporadic. I don't have much written on the other pieces due to writer's block. Also, if anyone has other things they want to see, tell me! I'm happy to accommodate your thoughts, provided they don't turn M or something. Anyway, enjoy!**

Kate looked over at her partner chatting on the phone in the conference room. Something in his demeanor caught her off guard and when he came toward her desk, she happily pestered the writer.

"Esteban forgot to pick Cassie up from soccer practice. I was on the phone with the coach when he couldn't reach Gloria."

"So, you're picking up Cassie." Kate clarified. Castle's breath hitched.

"I was wondering if you could. Paula called and told me about a mandatory book signing tomorrow. My flight's in an hour and a half and I still have to pack."

Realizing the man had been talking with Paula, Kate conceded to the arrangement and grabbed her car keys. Making sure she got directions to the school, Kate drove to pick the child up.

Finding a group of children on a soccer field, Kate parked in the closest lot.

The detective noticed the children grabbing their water bottles and school bags and decided to stand outside her car. Spotting the detective, Cassie ran toward her.

"I thought Rick was picking me up!" She exclaimed after hugging the woman. Kate shook her head.

"He has a book signing and asked me to get you." The child nodded as she took a sip of water from her water bottle before getting consent to get in the vehicle. Kate looked at the child from the rear view mirror and smiled.

"How was practice?" The woman questioned.

"Great! We have a game next week! Can you come?" The child pleaded. Kate sucked in a breath.

"I'll have to find out what time it is." The detective replied. Cassie nodded before staring out the car window. For a few minutes the car was silent. As

the woman realized she was now stuck in traffic, Kate turned the radio on low.

Noticing the girl in the back seat humming to the song, Kate asked, "Do you want me to turn it up?"

Cassie nodded and then started softly singing to the One Direction hit. At the chorus, the soft singing of the girl was joined by Kate's alto voice. At the end of the song, Cassie smiled.

"You sing pretty!" The six- year- old responded. Kate smiled.

"Thank- you." She answered before assessing traffic to see if she could use her siren. Biting her lip, Kate decided not to abuse her position.

"Do you have homework?" The detective asked once she realized they would be in the car at least an hour with the wreck on the road. Cassie told Kate she did as she took a binder out of her backpack. The detective answered a text Castle sent her about picking up Cassie as the girl worked. She had just finished a call with Gloria telling her where they were when traffic finally started moving.

"Kate, I have to read a paragraph out loud. Can I read it to you?" Cassie questioned from the back seat.

"Sure sweetie. Go ahead." She responded. Kate listened as Cassie fumbled through the reading.

"That it?" The woman asked questioningly due to the child's abrupt stop.

"Yeah, I just need to write who listened. How do you spell your name?"

"Kate or Beckett?" The detective inquired.

"Beckett." The child responded. By the time the child had finished the name, Kate had pulled up to the girl's house. The woman got out of the car and helped Cassie with her bag before they walked to the door. Mrs. Sanchez opened the door and ushered the woman and child inside.

"How are you?" Kate asked hugging the older woman.

"Fine, but I need to talk with you if that's alright. I was hoping Mr. Castle were here, but this will involve you too." Mrs. Sanchez stated gesturing to the living room. Kate sat beside Gloria and the woman began to explain the predicament.

"A couple weeks ago, Estaban was diagnosed with dimensia. We're afraid to tell the girls, but with Estaban's memory and my worsening arthritis, we were

wondering if we could sign you and Mr. Castle over as the children's legal guardians."

"Now?" Kate instantly responded. Mrs. Sanchez shook her head.

"Not now, but probably within the next year or so. I know it's sudden and you'll need time to process it, but as you can tell, we forgot Cassie at practice. I can give you time to think it over; we just need to know-"

"Yes." Kate answered surprising herself as well as the woman beside her.

"And Mr. Castle?" Gloria questioned.

"He would in a heart beat." The detective answered resolutely. The women talked a little longer about Kate's work and the children until Lanie came in the room.

"I should go." Kate said knowing they had a busy day tomorrow.

"Bye Kate!" Cassie said hugging the woman before thanking her for the ride home.

"Bye sweetie. Be good for your grandparents." Kate responded as she received a hug from Lanie.

"Don't forget about my game!" Cassie called. Kate smiled and told her she would remember. Leaving the Sanchez' home, the detective smiled wondering what the next year would bring her.

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